The invention relates to an electrically adjustable external rear view mirror for a motor vehicle, with a mirror element, a housing, and a mirror base, which may be fixed to the motor vehicle.
Generally speaking a motor vehicle has two external rear view mirrors to enable the driver to see the traffic behind his or her vehicle. The external rear view mirrors are arranged in the region in front of the front side windows. To enable the setting of the external rear view mirrors to be adapted according to the body size and seating position of the particular driver, the mirror element must be capable of being adjusted relative to the vehicle body. To increase driver comfort when adjusting the external rear view mirrors, electromotive adjustment gears which generate the necessary adjustment movement are used.
In the electrically adjustable external rear view mirrors known from the prior art the housing is rigidly connected to the mirror base and the mirror element is mounted in the housing in an adjustable manner with respect to the housing. In order that the mirror element does not project from the housing at any point, even at the end stops, it must be arranged in the interior of the housing with a certain distance from the housing opening. Furthermore, an air gap between mirror element and the inside of the housing is required so as to enable the mirror element to make a swivel movement in the housing.
The arrangement of the mirror element in the interior of the housing makes it difficult to clean the mirror glass with traditional cleaning equipment at gas stations, such as car washes with rotating brushes. The projecting edge of the housing also restricts the field of view visible in the mirror element, which leads to an enlargement of the required mirror surface in order to obtain an adequate field of view. This shadow formation is a drawback particularly where non-spherical mirror glasses are used. The increase in the structural volume of the external rear view mirror associated with the increase in the mirror surface increases the air resistance and the level of wind noise. Because of the large mirror housing and the resultant mass and wind force effect, the outlay involved in mechanically fastening the mirror system to the vehicle also increases, such as a large fastening surface in the so-called door triangle and greater rigidity of the door frame structure. Air turbulence, which also contributes to an increase in the noise level, is also created by the air gap between housing and mirror element.
The primary object of the present invention is to provide a generic external rear view mirror which is of small structural volume and yet permits a large field of view, causes less wind noise and can be fitted with more simple means.
According to the invention an electrically adjustable external rear view mirror for a motor vehicle is provided. The external rear view mirror includes a mirror element, a housing, and a mirror base, which may be fixed to the motor vehicle. The mirror element and the housing are rigidly connected together. An adjustment gear which may be driven by at least one electric motor is arranged between the housing and the mirror base.
The mirror element may be arranged adjoining the outside of the housing in a substantially flush manner.
As the mirror element is not adjusted in the housing, the mirror element does not need to be arranged in the interior region of the housing. The arrangement of the mirror element may therefore be arranged arbitrarily close to the outer edge of the housing opening, by which means the necessary structural volume is reduced. The smaller the projecting edge of the housing wall with respect to the mirror surface, the larger the field of vision available to the driver and the more thorough the cleaning of the mirror surface with traditional cleaning devices, such as a carwash.
As mirror element and housing are rigidly connected together, the gap between housing and mirror element is dispensed with and the wind noise generated by the external rear view mirror is additionally reduced thereby.
The largest possible field of view with the smallest structural volume and lowest noise level is obtained when the mirror element is arranged adjoining the outside of the housing in a substantially flush manner.
In order to be able to adjust the mirror element with respect to the vehicle body, according to the invention an adjustment gear which is adjustable by means of at least one electric motor is arranged between housing and mirror base. Preferably the adjustment gear may be swivelled about two axes of rotation which are not parallel to one another, in order to be able to adjust the mirror element with respect to both the vertical and the horizontal.
The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its uses, reference is made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated.